


Maybe One Day

by mackenziemchale



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, S1, Some Fluff, mostly angst oops, post 1x05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:14:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24324850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mackenziemchale/pseuds/mackenziemchale
Summary: “But it was your idea. Recreating the scene from one of my favorite movies that always gets to me and makes me cry? I think that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”Mac looks up at him and holds back on a smile since she was unable to fully believe that he was giving her a compliment, “I’m sure that’s not true.”
Relationships: Will McAvoy/MacKenzie McHale
Comments: 10
Kudos: 17





	Maybe One Day

**Author's Note:**

> A couple things before you read:
> 
> I’ve said it before but it doesn’t hurt to say again, I’ve unfortunately not read nearly enough fics on here (or anywhere else) so I can’t say if anyone else has written something similar.
> 
> Also, I know I tagged it but just so you all know this is set after their hug in 1x05. Hope you enjoy!

Placing a few files she needed to look over at some point soon into her binder, Mackenzie lets out a sigh of relief. Her workday was coming to an end which meant she could go back to her apartment and curl up in bed with a glass of wine and watch reruns of  _ The Golden Girls  _ until she passed out. 

As she’s reorganizing her desk and going over everything she needs to take with her, her mind wanders back multiple times to what had happened less than twenty minutes ago. She and Will had hugged each other for the first time in four years. It was like coming back after a very long trip and walking right back into a place held close to one’s heart. In every single way it felt right, comforting. His hugs had always been one of her favorite things. Will was like a big cuddly teddy bear and his hugs always managed to engulf her with warmth. They made her feel safe, like as long as she stayed there nothing bad could ever happen to her. His grasp around her was still lingering as she sat in her office, getting ready to go to her apartment.

The hug wasn’t the only thing she was thinking about either. After they had hugged, they still held each other. He held his arm around her shoulders while she rested her head against his shoulder and held her arm around his torso. They watched as everyone lined up throughout the bullpen continued going into Will’s office to drop off the checks. Mac wasn’t entirely sure why he kept holding her and let her do the same but she didn’t dare question it the entire time. He hadn’t been like this with her in such a long time and she wanted to grasp onto the feeling of him not being upset with her about what she had done for as long as possible. 

Mackenzie shakes her head, bringing her out of replaying that memory over for probably the thousandth time since she came to her office. That moment, though it felt like growth for their relationship, was just a one time thing. She didn’t believe for a second that he had forgiven her yet and she was sure by Monday he’d be back where they had been before: keeping her at arm’s length as much as he possibly could. 

That’s why it’s a surprise when only moments later she hears the door to her office open and a light knock and standing in the doorway is Will. He had been watching from a distance getting ready to leave when he realized that he didn’t want to end this feeling he had inside of him. It was hard to explain what it was, love? Probably . Everyday he lied to himself when he said he wasn’t still madly in love with her. Then there was the goddamn stubbornness that he had that wasn’t ready to forgive her and move on from what she had done. Though tonight that stubbornness was being suppressed, he couldn’t stop thinking about what she had done for him. Recreating the scene that always made him cry from one of his favorite movies made his heart feel like it had grown three sizes bigger. He couldn’t let this night end without seeing her for a little longer.

The shock she felt continues when she hears him ask if she wanted to go back to his place for drinks. It was the last thing she expected for him to be standing there for and to be honest, she wasn’t sure what it would’ve been for in the first place. They spent time outside of work together, but not all of the time like they used to. One thing that had picked up from where they had left it a long time ago was their nightly, well almost nightly, phone calls. It started when she first came to take over  _ News Night _ and carried on throughout the whole year. They’d talk for a couple hours every night unless he was with one of the women he was flaunting around the office. Most times it would be about the show but sometimes about nothing at all. She enjoyed the calls where he’d call saying it was for work and they’d do the opposite, it felt like when they were first getting to know each other and in the beginning stages of their dating. It gave here a sense of hope that maybe one day they’d be back together again.

Mackenzie hesitates on his offer at first, worried that he’d regret it as soon as they left. Despite that, she agrees because the thought of progressing their relationship forward and was all she could think about. Besides, it was just drinks and then she’d be going home. That wasn’t such a big deal.

⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀●●●⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀  ⠀⠀⠀

Stepping into Will’s apartment brought back a flood of memories of when they lived together for her. It wasn’t the same apartment they shared, she had stayed in that apartment until the end of its lease while Will moved out only days after their breakup. Mac still wasn’t sure why he let her stay, he should’ve kicked her to the curb and made her live in between places until she found a new one. Instead he moved out and in with one of his friends until he was able to find a place. 

They lived together for seven months and in those months found that they were perfect roommates. They definitely bickered like an old married couple but living together just worked. A majority of those months had been some of the happiest of her life, and then it all came crumbling down. She wished she could reverse her mistake, if she could go back and tell Brian to go to hell she would. What’s done was done and Mackenzie tried hard to get through to Will and explain to him that it was never about him and whether or not he was good enough or whether or not she was happy with him. It took a massive mistake and the need to get over being rejected to realize just how much she loved Will and she hated that it took that.

Mac snaps out of her thoughts when Will hands her a glass of bourbon. She thanks him and follows him over to the living room and to the couch. They sit an awkward distance apart even though both of them desperately wanted to be right next to each other, one of his arms around her and both relaxed into one another. 

There’s an awkward silence at first too, neither able to come up with something worthwhile to say. She wanted to take the time to explain everything to him and even though she was vocal about her feelings for him, tell him that she loved him more than anyone. However, it didn’t seem right to do because she knew he didn’t want to hear it and that he wasn’t going to listen anyway. 

Will is first to speak, “I still can’t believe you put all of that together. I never said it earlier, but thank you.”

She had been staring down into her glass at the amber liquid inside, taking a sip as he spoke then shrugging, “I can’t take all of the credit, I had some help from the others.”

“But it was your idea. Recreating the scene from one of my favorite movies that always gets to me and makes me cry? I think that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

Mac looks up at him and holds back on a smile since she was unable to fully believe that he was giving her a compliment, “I’m sure that’s not true.”

“Mac…” He scoots a little closer, “let me compliment you just this once.”

This time she gives a small smile and nods, “you’re welcome.” Taking another sip of the bourbon she then says, “I would’ve done a different movie but I’m pretty sure you don’t have any other favorites.” It was a light jab at him, but she wanted to keep the conversation going.

Will raises a brow, “that is not true,” he protests.

Her glass is placed down on the table next to the couch and she turns back to him, crossing her arms, “name two other movies you like besides  _ Rudy _ .”

He sips his bourbon before setting it down too, “okay for starters,  _ Citizen Kane _ .”

Mac rolls her eyes, “of course you’d say that one.”

“You said name two and that’s one!” 

“Okay now name another,” she insists.

“ _ Shawshank Redemption _ ,” he replies and crosses his own arms.

Mac stares at him for a few seconds and purses her lips, “name another.”

“You said two!” Will protests and grabs his glass for another sip.

“Just name another and I’ll leave you alone.”

“Forever?” He teases.

She lightly shoves him and gives a small smile, “just name another.”

“Okay, well, I’d say you and I had a pretty fun time watching  _ Back to the Future  _ together and for that reason I’d say it holds a special place in my heart.”

It takes Mackenzie a few seconds of recalling her memories to remember what he was referencing to and then it hits her, “you mean when we went to the drive-in when we took that weekend trip to Connecticut?”

Will nods, “that the one.”

She then laughs and shakes her head, “I wouldn’t call what we did watching the movie.” They had driven to Connecticut in a rental car (since neither had a need for one living in the city) and spent their whole weekend there. Mac had found out that a drive-in near their hotel was playing  _ Back to the Future  _ that night and insisted on going, saying that it would be a cute date for them. The winning part for him was they didn’t have to deal with anyone, they’d stay in the car the entire time. 

That was exactly what they did, except for the key part of going to the movies— actually watching the movie. They did pay attention for about the first half hour but one hand dragging up her thigh and pressing kisses to her shoulder led to making out in the front seat of the car. Which inevitably led to Will putting down the seats in the back as quickly as he could and pulling her back there for a night of passion. 

“That’s why I loved it,” He says.

That makes another smile come to her face, “I’m surprised no one heard us and reported us.”

“Honey we weren’t the only ones not paying attention,” Will points out.

Mac shakes her head as she takes hold of her drink again and goes in for another sip. That was usually why couples went to drive-in theaters, it certainly wasn’t for the movie.

Another silence settles between them but this time it wasn’t as awkward as the first. It felt like walls (mostly Will’s) were beginning to come down. Mac wasn’t sure if it was the good mood her little stunt had put him in or if it was the alcohol, it was probably a mixture of both. Either way, there was a certain relief washing through her to know that he wasn’t sitting there upset with her but for once he was actually happy with her.

The silence doesn’t last much longer as they dive into another conversation of one of the many ventures they took together before they broke up. That conversation opens the floodgates of reminiscing which lead to laughter, more drinking, and the two of them growing closer to one another on the couch. 

Mackenzie wasn’t sure at what point they ended up inches apart, but the alcohol flowing through her bloodstream didn’t exactly help with remembering. She wasn’t so drunk that she couldn’t remember a lot but smaller details were becoming hazier as the booze kept flowing between the two of them. 

The conversation between them had died down and now, just inches from his face, Mac stares into his eyes wondering if he was considering the same thing she was. She glances down at his lips before looking back into his captivating blue eyes. It takes only a split second for her to make her decision. Grabbing his shirt, Mackenzie pulls Will into a kiss and kisses him hard. She wasn’t going to hold back, she had been waiting four years to kiss him again and it wasn’t going to be a short and sweet one. 

To both her and his surprise, he doesn’t freak out and pull away. Instead, he kisses back with the same intensity and brings a hand to her waist to pull her closer. Will would be lying if he said he hadn’t been waiting for this moment for the past four years too. He thought about her all of the time and not just because of work. He was still madly in love with her, thus leading to a constant battle between his heart and his mind. One part would tell him to forgive her and let the past be the past but the other argued that he should never forgive her and find someone else who made him happy. So far, that wasn’t going too well.

By the time they break apart, they’re both taking a few moments to catch their breath. The atmosphere between them changed and there was no going back from that.

This gave her a certain confidence and made her think, maybe just maybe, she could try explaining everything to him. They could make up or at least begin on the road toward fixing their relationship right here and now. 

“Will…. I need you to know-”

He cuts her off and shakes his head, “not tonight Mackenzie, please,” he insists.

It didn’t take more than those words for him to know what she was talking about and even though they had just shared a kiss for the first time in years, he still wasn’t ready. He was in a good mood and the thought of going down the road of dealing with whether or not he could forgive her right this moment would ruin that mood.

Mac puts a little distance between them and nods, quietly apologizing before grabbing her glass and finishing off the last of her drink. She wasn’t sure how many she had tonight, she had lost track after three. 

“I should… probably get home” she glances over at the clock on the table by the couch and realizes just how late it was getting. After suggesting a conversation about her mistake and him rejecting it, it was probably best for her to take the opportunity and go home. Not to mention, she didn’t want to be here when the alcohol wore off and he realizes that kissing her was a mistake.

Will shakes his head, “no no, I really don’t think you should be by yourself in the city this late, especially after having all those drinks.”

Grabbing her purse and her binder, Mackenzie shrugs, “I’m a grown woman… I can take care of myself.” 

He watches as she gets up from the couch and stumbles her way to the door, almost dropping her things in the process.

This makes Will get up from the couch and walk over to her, “come on,” he says and guides her away from the door, “you can take my bed and I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“No” she protests, “if anything I should be the one to take the couch.”

She wasn’t about to kick him out of his own bed in his own home, that was absurd. Mac could handle sleeping on a couch for one night, it certainly wouldn’t be the most uncomfortable place she had slept.

“Mac…”

“Just let me do  _ one _ thing for you Billy, please.” She pulls out her pouty eyes, knowing it would convince him. 

Will caves in an instant, damn those eyes. “Alright fine. At least let me give you something more comfortable to sleep in.”

As per usual, she was in a blouse along with a pencil skirt and heels and that was no outfit to be sleeping in. 

“Fine, fine,” she agrees and lets him guide her back over to the couch so that she wouldn’t stumble her way there like she had to the door.

It takes ten minutes for them to get settled, but eventually Will finished setting up the couch with pillows and blankets for her. He tried to make it as comfortable as he could since she adamantly insisted on taking the couch instead of his king size bed.

Mackenzie walks out of the bathroom in an old pair of his sweatpants and an old t-shirt. Neither fit her, she had to tighten the strings of the sweatpants as tight as she could to make them fit her better. Meanwhile the shirt nearly hit her knees. “I look homeless” she remarks while walking over.

He looks up from the armchair he had been sitting in while he waited for her to return from the bathroom. His heart skips a beat when he looks at her, she looked gorgeous to him, even in just pajamas. “Nah you look beautiful,” Will compliments as he stands up.

“I know that’s the alcohol talking but thank you,” she says and walks over to the couch.

A laugh comes from Mac when she sees all of the pillows and blankets he pulled out, “how many pillows do you think I need?” There had to be at least four and there was no way she would be able to share the couch with all four of them.

“Well I just wanted to make sure you’d be comfortable, the couch no Tempur-Pedic mattress” he explains.

She smiles and pulls off two of the pillows, turning and handing them to him. “I think two will do just fine but thank you, I appreciate you letting me stay.”

Will shrugs, “it’s nothing but don’t think this means I’m making you breakfast in the morning.”

Her hands come up on either side of her face, “oh no I wouldn’t dare.”

He chuckles, “if you need anything, my room is just down the hall and to the left. Goodnight Mackenzie.”

Mac watches as he turns away and begins walking to the hallway leading to her room, still feeling a buzz from all of the alcohol she had consumed. “Goodnight Will” she says just as he disappears into the dark hallway.

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It was around one in the morning when Mackenzie fell asleep, her entire day finally catching up with her and rendering her exhausted. Except, that only lasted for a few hours. She wasn’t sure why but now, at three in the morning, she was absolutely unable to go back to sleep.

She wasn’t even sure what had woken her up but here she was, staring up at the ceiling in Will’s living room. The tossing and turning into different positions hoping one would be relaxing enough to make her fall back asleep had failed. Now she was replaying the night they had spent together over in her mind.

Maybe that would help her sleep, it had been the most enjoyable night she’s had in awhile. One Mac was never expecting to happen with Will. Inviting her back to his place for drinks? Sharing a kiss after all these years? It almost sounded too good to be true. Maybe it was all a dream, maybe she’d wake up any moment now and be at home in her own bed. It would be sunrise and she’d spend her weekend thinking about their hug. Gosh, that was another thing, the hug. That had to be her favorite part of yesterday, not the night they spent together or the kiss they shared but the hug that led to it all. 

Their night together was one she wouldn’t forget for a while, but the hug? That was something else. Even thinking about it again gave her butterflies. The tightness of the hug, how long they held each other, and just being able to do that again meant more to her than anything. Their kiss was incredible, but it was just a cherry on top of everything else. Maybe there was a chance her assumptions were right, maybe they were on the road to fixing their relationship. 

Mackenzie stares at the ceiling for a little while longer before getting up from the couch. Instantly she feels a stiffness settling throughout her body, this definitely wasn’t a dream.

She stretches out and yawns before trudging her way to the hallway that led to Will’s bedroom. She was exhausted, her body was exhausted, but for some reason her mind just wouldn’t turn off and let her rest. 

Before she even realizes what she’s doing, Mac ends up in Will's bedroom, slightly shaking him to get him up. 

It takes several tries and a few hard shakes before his eyes come open, “Mac…?”

“Finally, you’re awake,” she says quietly.

“Wh-what time is it?” He questions tiredly and turns on the lamp on his bedside table so he can actually see her.

Mac glances at the clock in front of the lamp, “3:12,” she says as she looks back over at him.

A groan comes from him as he rolls from his side onto his back, “what do you need?” Will asks as he remembers that he told her that if she needed anything just to come to his room and let him know. It was more a gesture of kindness and something he didn’t think she’d do, but here they were.

“I can’t sleep,” she admits.

Will looks back over at her and doesn’t say anything, instead he pulls down the comforter on his bed and pats the empty space.

Her brows raise, “are you sure?”

“Mac it's three in the morning, I really don’t care if you sleep in my bed with me. I care about getting back to sleep.”

She nods and doesn’t hesitate to get into bed with him, though she is sure to keep her distance. He was on one side of the bed and she was on the other. No matter how desperately she wanted to cuddle up with him, she reminds herself that they were far from that stage in their relationship progression. This was only for a few more hours, surely she could keep her distance.

Will switches off the lamp and then settles back into bed, letting out a sigh of relief as he does.

“I’m sorry I woke you,” she whispers.

“It’s fine, just try to get some sleep.”

Mac nods and just before turning on her opposite side she murmurs, “goodnight Billy.”

A small smile comes to his face in the darkness at the re-emergence of his nickname, “goodnight Mackenzie.”

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Her eyes open sometime around eight in the morning and for a brief moment, Mackenzie forgets where she is. It all comes flooding back to her in seconds when she suddenly realizes that not only was she in bed with Will, but she wrapped up in his arms. 

Sometime in the night he must’ve naturally gravitated toward her because Mac distinctly remembers how cautious she had been with getting near him. She had made a mental note that keeping distance was for the best. Clearly, that hadn’t worked out as planned.

Will had an arm wrapped around her torso, holding on to her like he was afraid to let go. His body was pressed closely up against hers and his face was snuggled into her hair. 

This wasn’t something he had done on purpose was it? Surely not. He still struggled to forgive her even after everything they’ve gone through so far since her return. It must’ve happened sometime in the night while he moved around in bed and he just didn’t realize what he was doing. 

Mac considers staying in the bed with him, enjoying the comfort that his embrace brought to her. There wasn’t a single person who she hugged or cuddled with who compared to the way he did. 

As much as she enjoyed laying there and soaking in his embrace, she knew she needed to get up and get changed. If he wasn’t awake yet then she still had a chance to leave before he woke up and regretted everything that happened last night. Mac wanted to slip out and have at least the next two days to not be around him when that happened. It seemed inevitable, Will didn’t want to forgive her and once he remembers inviting her back to his apartment and even kissing her, she knew she would be kicked out. It was best to leave the night as it was and never speak about it again and that was exactly what Mackenzie planned on doing.

Carefully, she moves his arm from around her waist and slowly begins to slide out of the bed, being as quiet as a church mouse. 

Once out of the bed, Mac turns around and gets a look at Will. He was in fact still asleep, having moved onto his back and was now occupying the space where she had been.

A small smile comes to her face as she watches him peacefully sleep for a brief moment. There were no words to describe how she missed moments like these: being held by him, watching over him as he slept… all of it, every single bit.

She sighs and she turns away from the bed and tiptoes out of his room, her clothes still being in the living room. 

Once she has hold of her clothes, Mac goes into the bathroom and quickly throws on each article not caring if anything looks right on her. She didn’t care if she looked awful, she’d just be taking a cab back to her apartment anyway. 

Mac tiptoes into Will’s bedroom again a few minutes later and drops the clothes off that he let her borrow on his dresser. She then turns and thankfully finds that he was still asleep in the bed.

Walking over to him, she lets out a small sigh wishing things were different and she didn’t have to run off like this.

As she stands over him, Mackenzie reaches out and gently runs her fingers through his hair. She knew the risk of waking him up by doing this, but for a brief moment she didn’t care. “I love you so much. I know you can’t hear me and I know that if you could you still can’t forgive me. Just know no matter what happens, no matter who you end up with that I’ll always love you and I want you to be happy” she says softly.

She then leans down and presses a gentle kiss to his forehead, “goodbye Billy” she whispers.

Mackenzie pulls away and turns for the door. She knew she’d see him on Monday and she’d see him everyday for work except the weekends but who knew when she’d see him privately like this again? Maybe one day they’d be together again but that was a long shot.

Or maybe one day they’d go out for drinks again but as far as she was concerned, they weren’t going to have another night like the one they did last night. 

Turning back Mac takes one last look at him, feeling her heart begin to break before exiting his room and closing the door behind her. Leaving the apartment as he had left it last night, except without her there anymore.

On her way out, she grabs her shoes, her purse, and her binder and quietly lets his apartment door shut behind her. There was no doubt that Mackenzie was going to think about yesterday: their hug, holding each other, having drinks, kissing, and cuddling in bed for a long time. It was going to be one of those memories of several that she frequently replayed in her mind. Both being as a way to reminisce but also remind herself of what she lost and the life she could’ve had.

**Author's Note:**

> Fun fact: I usually write at night because for some reason that’s when I have the most ideas and so like 10 or so minutes after I finished Imperfections at like 1am, I thought of this fic 😂
> 
> ALSO! So, there’s mention in the beginning of how Will & Mac were still holding each other after their hug and it’s very important to me to know if y’all caught that or not. It’s not something I just came up with if you watch the end of that scene it’s a wide shot and your eyes mainly focus on Neal skyping with Khalid but look in the background and what do you see? Will & Mac still holding each other. It’s what inspired this (that and the fact that it was 1am lol).
> 
> Okay okay enough rambling. Thank you for taking the time to read this. As always, feel free to leave any feedback as it is always appreciated. Feel free to leave a kudos too if you’d like! Until next time 💛


End file.
